David Forbes
@davidforbes.bsky.social
Anarchic history, queer defiance, cooking and — of course — fighting city hall.
@avlblade.bsky.social, @transnews.network Writer/journalist/editor. Eldritch trans dyke. She/They🏴🚩
Writing at:
patreon.com/DavidForbes
ashevilleblade.com
@avlblade.bsky.social, @transnews.network Writer/journalist/editor. Eldritch trans dyke. She/They🏴🚩
Writing at:
patreon.com/DavidForbes
ashevilleblade.com
Pinned
David Forbes
@davidforbes.bsky.social
· Feb 4
We do not have the luxury of surrender | David Forbes
Get more from David Forbes on Patreon
www.patreon.com
Feeling fear is understandable. But we are responsible for our actions in the face of it.
We do not have the luxury of surrender www.patreon.com/posts/we-do-...
We do not have the luxury of surrender www.patreon.com/posts/we-do-...
Yeah, ingrained servility for politicians is just...pathetic and I'm beyond done with it.
Why are so many seemingly ordinary people so desperate to declare that rich and powerful elected officials have less say in how the world works than a grocery store cashier with three roommates???
January 4, 2026 at 5:18 PM
Yeah, ingrained servility for politicians is just...pathetic and I'm beyond done with it.
Reposted by David Forbes
Folks out here doing deep historical analyses of market manipulation like yeah that was Iraq where they wanted to be able to control oil prices but anyone crediting the tariff regime doing twitter searches for Venezuela with deep economics understanding is kinda playing themselves imo
its incredible to read how the regime has to do a hard sell on the oil companies for this. president grandpas 1989 brain does it again. oil is 50 dollars a barrel and the infrastructure is degraded and the situation completely confused and politically volatile. oil ceos not exactly excited. amazing
whatever the real reason for this was by the smart guys, the stated reason for the addled moron in charge is oil. and that's darkly funny considering we don't need it
January 4, 2026 at 5:09 PM
Folks out here doing deep historical analyses of market manipulation like yeah that was Iraq where they wanted to be able to control oil prices but anyone crediting the tariff regime doing twitter searches for Venezuela with deep economics understanding is kinda playing themselves imo
Reposted by David Forbes
Reposted by David Forbes
Borscht Belt comic: Boy I tell ya, the manufacturing economy in the United States sure is dead.
Audience: How dead is it?
Borscht Belt comic: Why, these days they don't even bother to manufacture consent!
*rim shot*
(Comic is dragged off-stage by a big hook, deported to a black site)
Audience: How dead is it?
Borscht Belt comic: Why, these days they don't even bother to manufacture consent!
*rim shot*
(Comic is dragged off-stage by a big hook, deported to a black site)
January 4, 2026 at 12:52 AM
Borscht Belt comic: Boy I tell ya, the manufacturing economy in the United States sure is dead.
Audience: How dead is it?
Borscht Belt comic: Why, these days they don't even bother to manufacture consent!
*rim shot*
(Comic is dragged off-stage by a big hook, deported to a black site)
Audience: How dead is it?
Borscht Belt comic: Why, these days they don't even bother to manufacture consent!
*rim shot*
(Comic is dragged off-stage by a big hook, deported to a black site)
Reposted by David Forbes
Regime media
Moreover, ICE must be destroyed
Moreover, ICE must be destroyed
The New York Times and Washington Post learned of a secret US raid on Venezuela soon before it was scheduled to begin Friday night — but held off publishing what they knew to avoid endangering US troops.
News organizations held off on reporting Venezuela raid
The American news organizations held their stories over concerns about endangering US troops.
www.semafor.com
January 4, 2026 at 2:09 AM
Regime media
Moreover, ICE must be destroyed
Moreover, ICE must be destroyed
Reposted by David Forbes
We made it! Thank you so much, from the bottom of our hearts, to everyone who supported our worker-run trans newsroom. It truly means the world.
Look forward to even more hard-hitting journalism in 2026.
Look forward to even more hard-hitting journalism in 2026.
Our winter fund drive is on. Consider a tax-deductible donation to support TNN (and get a gift).
Our reporting is in-depth, hard-hitting and unrepentantly radical.
Your donations go to keeping trans journalists out of poverty and informing our communities, which is now more important than ever.
Our reporting is in-depth, hard-hitting and unrepentantly radical.
Your donations go to keeping trans journalists out of poverty and informing our communities, which is now more important than ever.
This winter, please consider a tax-deductible donation in support of Trans News Network!
TNN’s reporting is in-depth, hard-hitting and unrepentantly radical. Every dollar goes towards keeping trans journalists out of poverty and informing the public about what our communities are facing. ...
transnewsnetwork.networkforgood.com
January 3, 2026 at 10:08 PM
We made it! Thank you so much, from the bottom of our hearts, to everyone who supported our worker-run trans newsroom. It truly means the world.
Look forward to even more hard-hitting journalism in 2026.
Look forward to even more hard-hitting journalism in 2026.
Y'all, TNN is just $54 away from hitting $9,000 and there's a really generous donation match going on right now (more on that in the next reply).
We're need independent, unrepentantly radical journalism more than ever.
We do not take ads. We do not have corporate backers. Readers and their generous support keep us going.
Less than $1,500 to go to hit our goal. Help our worker-run trans newsroom survive: transnewsnetwork.networkforgood.com
We do not take ads. We do not have corporate backers. Readers and their generous support keep us going.
Less than $1,500 to go to hit our goal. Help our worker-run trans newsroom survive: transnewsnetwork.networkforgood.com
This winter, please consider a tax-deductible donation in support of Trans News Network!
TNN’s reporting is in-depth, hard-hitting and unrepentantly radical. Every dollar goes towards keeping trans journalists out of poverty and informing the public about what our communities are facing. ...
transnewsnetwork.networkforgood.com
January 3, 2026 at 8:43 PM
Y'all, TNN is just $54 away from hitting $9,000 and there's a really generous donation match going on right now (more on that in the next reply).
There are no good empires. Every last one sows nothing but blood and ruin.
January 3, 2026 at 8:12 PM
There are no good empires. Every last one sows nothing but blood and ruin.
Reposted by David Forbes
i will match up to $1000 of donations for @transnews.network — reply or DM me a screenshot of your receipt to join in!
We're need independent, unrepentantly radical journalism more than ever.
We do not take ads. We do not have corporate backers. Readers and their generous support keep us going.
Less than $1,500 to go to hit our goal. Help our worker-run trans newsroom survive: transnewsnetwork.networkforgood.com
We do not take ads. We do not have corporate backers. Readers and their generous support keep us going.
Less than $1,500 to go to hit our goal. Help our worker-run trans newsroom survive: transnewsnetwork.networkforgood.com
This winter, please consider a tax-deductible donation in support of Trans News Network!
TNN’s reporting is in-depth, hard-hitting and unrepentantly radical. Every dollar goes towards keeping trans journalists out of poverty and informing the public about what our communities are facing. ...
transnewsnetwork.networkforgood.com
January 3, 2026 at 5:47 PM
i will match up to $1000 of donations for @transnews.network — reply or DM me a screenshot of your receipt to join in!
Reposted by David Forbes
January 3, 2026 at 8:03 PM
Now less than $100 to go to hit $9,000. Less than $1,100 to go to hit our final goal.
We're need independent, unrepentantly radical journalism more than ever.
We do not take ads. We do not have corporate backers. Readers and their generous support keep us going.
Less than $1,500 to go to hit our goal. Help our worker-run trans newsroom survive: transnewsnetwork.networkforgood.com
We do not take ads. We do not have corporate backers. Readers and their generous support keep us going.
Less than $1,500 to go to hit our goal. Help our worker-run trans newsroom survive: transnewsnetwork.networkforgood.com
This winter, please consider a tax-deductible donation in support of Trans News Network!
TNN’s reporting is in-depth, hard-hitting and unrepentantly radical. Every dollar goes towards keeping trans journalists out of poverty and informing the public about what our communities are facing. ...
transnewsnetwork.networkforgood.com
January 3, 2026 at 8:07 PM
Now less than $100 to go to hit $9,000. Less than $1,100 to go to hit our final goal.
Ever and always.
The complicity of liberals is integral to the rise of fascism.
… Jared Polis celebrates that “… the tyrant has fallen!”
January 3, 2026 at 7:32 PM
Ever and always.
Reposted by David Forbes
Closer and closer. Thank y'all so much!
Please share and support as you can, and help us get the rest of the way.
Please share and support as you can, and help us get the rest of the way.
January 3, 2026 at 6:09 PM
Closer and closer. Thank y'all so much!
Please share and support as you can, and help us get the rest of the way.
Please share and support as you can, and help us get the rest of the way.
If pressuring politicians is a route you're going, remember the nice way always fails.
They only act in non-horrible ways when they're afraid of the alternative.
The push against the trans medicaid ban last year worked because people got angry and targeted Dems rather than flattering them.
They only act in non-horrible ways when they're afraid of the alternative.
The push against the trans medicaid ban last year worked because people got angry and targeted Dems rather than flattering them.
January 3, 2026 at 6:02 PM
If pressuring politicians is a route you're going, remember the nice way always fails.
They only act in non-horrible ways when they're afraid of the alternative.
The push against the trans medicaid ban last year worked because people got angry and targeted Dems rather than flattering them.
They only act in non-horrible ways when they're afraid of the alternative.
The push against the trans medicaid ban last year worked because people got angry and targeted Dems rather than flattering them.
Reposted by David Forbes
"A woman dressed as a pink Power Ranger hacked a dating site for far-right extremists. She deleted the entire site, but first she made users fall in love with AI bots she ran, thus obtaining information about them. Over 8,000 far-right profiles have now been mapped."
En kvinna, utklädd till rosa Power Ranger, hackade datingsida för högerextrema. Hon raderade hela sidan, men först fick hon användarna att bli kära i AI-botar som hon drev och fick på så sätt ut information om dem. Över 8000 högerextrema profiler har nu kartlagts.
cybernews.com/security/inv...
cybernews.com/security/inv...
Investigator breaches white supremacist dating sites, exposes 8,000 users
An investigative journalist infiltrated three white supremacist platforms, including the dating site WhiteDate, exfiltrating over 8,000 user profiles and 100GB of sensitive data.
cybernews.com
January 3, 2026 at 10:27 AM
"A woman dressed as a pink Power Ranger hacked a dating site for far-right extremists. She deleted the entire site, but first she made users fall in love with AI bots she ran, thus obtaining information about them. Over 8,000 far-right profiles have now been mapped."
Reposted by David Forbes
This is a new evil spawned from the ancient capitalist hydra, we need to be using historical context to fan the flames of what the FUCK and not just retreating to smug well this is how empire has always worked you can't be surprised by it
Moreover, ICE must be destroyed
Moreover, ICE must be destroyed
January 3, 2026 at 5:36 PM
This is a new evil spawned from the ancient capitalist hydra, we need to be using historical context to fan the flames of what the FUCK and not just retreating to smug well this is how empire has always worked you can't be surprised by it
Moreover, ICE must be destroyed
Moreover, ICE must be destroyed
Reposted by David Forbes
Thinking about Jean-Bertrand Aristide in Haiti this morning as the news comes in about Venezuela. The word “empire” is not an exaggeration. This is how it regularly defines itself.
January 3, 2026 at 3:08 PM
Thinking about Jean-Bertrand Aristide in Haiti this morning as the news comes in about Venezuela. The word “empire” is not an exaggeration. This is how it regularly defines itself.
Reposted by David Forbes
Heard NPR’s correspondent, who is not in Venezuela, explain that people in Venezuela woke up to this news. Yet everyone I’ve heard from was up all night.
Intense observation on what the U.S. state is and isn’t doing requires critical attention to what the U.S. press is and isn’t doing, too.
Intense observation on what the U.S. state is and isn’t doing requires critical attention to what the U.S. press is and isn’t doing, too.
January 3, 2026 at 4:46 PM
Heard NPR’s correspondent, who is not in Venezuela, explain that people in Venezuela woke up to this news. Yet everyone I’ve heard from was up all night.
Intense observation on what the U.S. state is and isn’t doing requires critical attention to what the U.S. press is and isn’t doing, too.
Intense observation on what the U.S. state is and isn’t doing requires critical attention to what the U.S. press is and isn’t doing, too.
Reposted by David Forbes
this is the story of worcester, ma. the second largest city in new england, home to 220,000 people, is at the mercy of a pro-cop city manager hell bent on imposing austerity to give every single cent to the police. the Democratic mayor who selected the city manager claims he’s powerless to stop it
One aspect I observed early about local governments was that "progressive" officials repeatedly hired hyper-conservative city/county managers and attorneys (and defended them, when people got angry) then threw up their hands and said they were powerless to do anything.
I think about that a lot.
I think about that a lot.
one thing about congress that's become very blatant in my life is that they actually kinda enjoy the executive bypassing them all the time to do military shit. this way, their fingerprints don't have to be on any of it. preferring a lack of responsibilities and accountability to their own power.
January 3, 2026 at 5:10 PM
this is the story of worcester, ma. the second largest city in new england, home to 220,000 people, is at the mercy of a pro-cop city manager hell bent on imposing austerity to give every single cent to the police. the Democratic mayor who selected the city manager claims he’s powerless to stop it
The gentry, y'all.
People also need to understand that it's not just billionaires who are stealing your future, but thousands of big fish millionaires in tiny ponds.
One aspect I observed early about local governments was that "progressive" officials repeatedly hired hyper-conservative city/county managers and attorneys (and defended them, when people got angry) then threw up their hands and said they were powerless to do anything.
I think about that a lot.
I think about that a lot.
January 3, 2026 at 5:05 PM
The gentry, y'all.
Reposted by David Forbes
Asheville's recently-departed city manager teargassed anti-racist demos, endorsed crackdowns on protesters and journalists, gutted firefighter pay, cheered arresting the homeless, let the water system crumble and botched Helene response.
Every single council member gave her a standing ovation.
Every single council member gave her a standing ovation.
One aspect I observed early about local governments was that "progressive" officials repeatedly hired hyper-conservative city/county managers and attorneys (and defended them, when people got angry) then threw up their hands and said they were powerless to do anything.
I think about that a lot.
I think about that a lot.
one thing about congress that's become very blatant in my life is that they actually kinda enjoy the executive bypassing them all the time to do military shit. this way, their fingerprints don't have to be on any of it. preferring a lack of responsibilities and accountability to their own power.
January 3, 2026 at 1:20 PM
Asheville's recently-departed city manager teargassed anti-racist demos, endorsed crackdowns on protesters and journalists, gutted firefighter pay, cheered arresting the homeless, let the water system crumble and botched Helene response.
Every single council member gave her a standing ovation.
Every single council member gave her a standing ovation.
Reposted by David Forbes
One aspect I observed early about local governments was that "progressive" officials repeatedly hired hyper-conservative city/county managers and attorneys (and defended them, when people got angry) then threw up their hands and said they were powerless to do anything.
I think about that a lot.
I think about that a lot.
one thing about congress that's become very blatant in my life is that they actually kinda enjoy the executive bypassing them all the time to do military shit. this way, their fingerprints don't have to be on any of it. preferring a lack of responsibilities and accountability to their own power.
January 3, 2026 at 1:06 PM
One aspect I observed early about local governments was that "progressive" officials repeatedly hired hyper-conservative city/county managers and attorneys (and defended them, when people got angry) then threw up their hands and said they were powerless to do anything.
I think about that a lot.
I think about that a lot.
Reposted by David Forbes
Don't let anyone tell you that this is too complicated, that you don't have the expertise or background knowledge to understand some obscure nuance.
It is exactly what it looks like.
It is exactly what it looks like.
January 3, 2026 at 4:04 PM
Don't let anyone tell you that this is too complicated, that you don't have the expertise or background knowledge to understand some obscure nuance.
It is exactly what it looks like.
It is exactly what it looks like.
Reposted by David Forbes
american occupation
Veteran New York Times national security reporter David Sanger says what Trump is describing in Venezuela is an "American occupation."
January 3, 2026 at 4:59 PM
american occupation
Reposted by David Forbes
Y'all we are so, so close. Please help us get there.
January 3, 2026 at 4:50 PM
Y'all we are so, so close. Please help us get there.